The damage done by heavy weaponry

Publicly available satellite imagery isn’t precise enough to show us the human cost of war, but it does depict the effects of bombardments and explosions caused by fighting.

An image generated from space radar data shows the bombardment of a Ukrainian airfield.
An image generated from space radar data shows the bombardment of a Ukrainian airfield.
Image: Capella Space
A satellite image of damage to a Ukrainian airfield in Hostomel, near Kyiv.
A satellite image of damage to a Ukrainian airfield in Hostomel, near Kyiv.
Image: Satellite image ©2022 Maxar Technologies
Fires burn near the city of Ivankiv in eastern Ukraine.
Fires burn near the city of Ivankiv in eastern Ukraine.
Image: Planet Labs PBC

The coming humanitarian disaster

This war is only a few days old, and most experts predict that it’s only going to get worse as Russia brings more of its armaments to bear on population centers. The inevitable result is already in motion: Hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing to neighbors like Poland, Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia. The satellite image below, from Feb. 25, shows the front of a traffic jam on the Ukrainian side (left) of a border crossing with Romania, estimated to be four miles long.

A satellite image shows a traffic jam at a border crossing between Ukraine and Romania.
A satellite image shows a traffic jam at a border crossing between Ukraine and Romania.
Image: Satellite image ©2022 Maxar Technologies

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